If you’re comparing franchise opportunities for the first time, a cheaper franchise start up fee might be attractive – but is it the right choice?
Cheaper franchises can seem appealing
Cheaper franchises can seem appealing at first glance but there are more important things to consider.
You could but choosing a franchise like We Love Pets you get a whole support team behind you, every step of the way.
Cheaper franchises can’t afford to reinvest in their franchisees, so you may not be getting the best return, investment, or support so you’ll soon grind to a halt. They may only have one or two people in their head office support team. What happens when you have a business or legal question, or if you want pet behaviour advice? Or if their staff are on holiday. We Love Pets have a 24 hour support system.
Is the franchise accredited?
Check whether they’re a member of the British Franchising Association (BFA). If you are considering a franchise that isn’t a member of the BFA you need to be aware that they haven’t been checked by an independent body to ensure they are viable, ethical, or sustainable. Their franchise agreement may be non existent, or unfair; or even illegal.
Can you earn enough?
Are they giving you accurate earning figures? There are a lot of unethical franchises out there who fabricate potential earnings, and because they’re not members of the BFA they’re not regulated or checked. We can provide you with actual figures during a meeting, and you can arrange to meet one of our franchisees to talk to them, so you can hear it first hand. We are transparent with earning figures.
Our highest earning franchisee makes £22,000 per month. Our average earnings are £6,000 per month, and the lowest makes
Do they invest enough in marketing?
Check where they come in google searches. We come top for pet care google searches in the areas we cover. This requires heavy investment and expertise from our marketing team. If customers can’t find you, you won’t be able to grow your business.
What is their social media reach like? We have a dedicated social media manager to build the brand in your area.
Are they a strong brand, or do they have unprofessional marketing, like cartoon logos and a poor website. Good, high performing websites need continuous investment. We have just won a European innovation grant because of our progressive website and technology.
Is the support team big enough?
Ask how many people they have in their support team. We Love Pets has:
- AI to ensure franchisees have 24-hour support and access to all the resources they need 7 days a week.
- CRM (customer relationship management) system which is supercharged with automations and integrations so you can convert and retain more customers, communicate faster and provide a proactive service to happy customers.
- Our own suite of pet and business training courses (including Ofqual approved courses).
- Franchise wellbeing officer.
- Social media manager.
- Two support managers.
- Solicitor.
- Vet Nurse.
- Business experts including EWIF Chair Jo White (BA Hons Business and PgDip Law).
- A CIO, who is leading the way with innovation, AI and technology which sets We Love Pets apart.
- Premium pet food range for you to earn money from.
Spread the costs of your franchise fee
If money is an issue and franchise fees make your eyes water you can spread your fee over five years, with funding from a government approved lender. You can even borrow more than the franchise fee to provide you with some working capital and any other expenses you may wish to cover, for example, purchasing a laptop or new vehicle. Over 25 of our franchisees have obtained funding for their franchise and are running successful branches. We have had a 100% approval rate.
